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After earlier rumours from Portugal, Saturday saw concrete claims from the country that João Vírginia will be leaving Everton this summer.

He’s expected to join Sporting, and yesterday’s claims made it sound like the move was imminent. Sunday’s edition of Record reports the goalkeeper is now expected to fly to Lisbon and seal the deal on Thursday.

Sporting will initially sign the 21-year-old on a loan basis, and they’ll have an option to make the move permanent next summer. The Everton player will be replacing Luís Maximiano, who is set to move to Granada, and he’ll be tasked with providing back-up and competition to first choice goalkeeper Adan.

Record believe Vírginia is in isolation ‘after testing positive for Covid-19’, and they say he’ll have to test negative before he can take a flight anywhere on Thursday.

There’s widespread confidence the deal will happen, with the only possible issue coming if Maximiano’s move to Granada collapses, although everything looks fine with that transfer right now.